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Subseries I.1 contains correspondence both sent and received by Charles Chandler. Though this file falls within the series of Chandler's personal papers, this correspondence often relates to his professional life and could have been sent in any of his various capacities as professor, member of the Metropolitan Board of Health, and a member of various professional organizations. The subseries also includes the correspondence of Chandler's second wife, Augusta Chandler and correspondence relating to their wedding.

This subseries contains a great deal of information related to Chandler's personal life and professional activities including some biographical articles and printed matter about Chandler, the subject files related to his many professional and social clubs and organizations, as well as school work and early diaries and scrapbooks depicting his younger life and travels. This series also includes the realia and three dimensional material connected with the collection but not part of one of Chandler's specific subject files. The objects in this series range from Chandler's pipe to small chemical apparatus. Also of interest here are some of Mrs. Augusta Chandler's files, notably scrapbooks such as her dinner party or opera-going books which depict the social obligations of a well-to-do woman in New York at the turn of the twentieth century.

These files provide an intimate glimpse into the Chandler household through detailed information about household accounts, including bills, receipts and correspondence about standing orders and accounts. Additionally, the subseries includes information about many properties either owned or managed by Charles and Augusta Chandler, many of which were ancestral properties that were willed to the couple. Copies of some of these wills and property deeds are included.

Subseries 1.4 contains photographs by Chandler and associates using different photographic processes. These are mostly 19th-century photographic processes that include albumen, cyanotype, collodion, salt print, platinotype, silver gelatin, and some photomechanical processes like collotype, woodburytype, photogravure, and bonnaudtype. The images range from his family, friends, colleagues, students, scholars, various homes, laboratories, artwork, gardens, portraits, and travels. Also included are newspaper/magazine clippings, postcards, stereoviews, cabinet cards, x-rays, cartes-de-visites, a framed photograph, a photo album, one glass plate, letters, and various ephemera.

This subseries documents professional awards and honors awarded to Chandler, as well as some files related to awards he presented or otherwise helped to administer. Notably, this subseries contains files related to the Perkin medal, which was both received and presented by Chandler on different occasions, and a number of remembrances of Chandler given on the occasion of his retirement from Columbia.

The Academic and Scholarly Activities subseries documents Chandler's teaching and administrative activities, primarily with Columbia University as well as his professional chemical and scientific activities. The Columbia files include correspondence and memos relating to his roles as teacher and administrator in a number of departments and schools, most notably as the dean of the School of Mines. Also represented in this subseries are laboratory analyses that Chandler made or oversaw in his laboratory, and files relating to the founding ofThe American Chemist.

The Municipal Board of Health Subseries includes files related to Chandler's work with the new York Board of Health. Particularly well-represented in this subseries are Chandler's interests in safe and sanitary tenements and slaughterhouses, though the subseries also includes laboratory analyses of health and beauty products and correspondence files.